Calling all Iwo Jima-class (LPH) landing platform helicopter fans

[Michael Potter]

Has anyone a source for 1/700 CH-53D Sea Stallions? The Waveline kit contains CH-53E's, and just 3 of those.

[MAJOR-B]

Does anyone know if the Pit Road kit is still being produced?

[Michael Potter]

Major B (are or were you US military commissioned major?), Hobby Link Japan says those kits are out of production. You could post an inquiry on the viewforum.php?f=15 page of this site.

Separate item: I scratched an adequate set of 1/700 CH-53D Sea Stallions, including the 6-blade main rotors.

[MAJOR-B]

Yes
CPT Potter, I was a LCDR in the navy prior to getting a Commission in the Army Nurse CORP in 1999. I am currently a Senior Major awaiting the results of the LTC board for this FY and have a pending Retirement/ Mandatory Removal Date in Sept after 32 Years of service. I wasn't sure if still was being produced.

[Michael Potter]

BZ on your career to date. I hope the selection board results favor you. This is the first I've seen the term senior major.

PM me any time should you need some 1/700 CH-53D's, whether for an LPH or for another model.

[jpeeler]

Does anyone know if the Pit Road kit is still being produced?

Every once in a while Free Time Hobbies will list a special run of the Waveline/Pit Road kit for sale. It may be worth a phone call or an e-mail to Free Time to see if another run may be in the offing soon.

For whatever it's worth, in March 2016 we drove over to the Free Time store and a few each of the LPH-2 and LPH-3 issue were on the shelves, though I don't know if they were listed as available on the website. I bought the LPH-2 kit on the "better to get one while I can" principle. For what it is, the Pit Road/Waveline kit is very nicely produced, but be prepared for a one-piece solid hull (everything from flight deck down is cast as one solid piece, so good luck on an open hangar bay) and also be prepared to build your own catwalks and other fine details.

(And by way of sympathy, I'm in a similar pickle on the Waveline CVE-105 kit...every time it becomes available, I dither about ordering one, and by the time I finally decide to stop being so cheap and unbuckle my billfold, the kit's out of stock again.)

Jodie Peeler

[Haijun watcher]

Hear ye, Hear ye!

A new 3D-printed 1/700 Iwo Jima class LPH is already available from Bills' Models at Shapeways! One can simply add spare Harriers or Cobras or Sea Stallions from Trumpeter 1/700 aircraft sets for their air groups.



He seems to have 2 different options with a very small difference in price between them, though I can't seem to see any visible differences:


1/700 Iwo Jima class LPH option 1 ($97.32 US dollars)

1/700 Iwo Jima class LPH option 2 ($97.41 US dollars)

[Timmy C]

Differences are the mast at the aft of the island and the first set of guns in front of the island replaced by Sea Sparrow launcher.

Note also it's available only in white versatile plastic, which is the lowest quality of material/print method from Shapeways and therefore basically useless for most of our purposes.

[Haijun watcher]

Differences are the mast at the aft of the island and the first set of guns in front of the island replaced by Sea Sparrow launcher.

Note also it's available only in white versatile plastic, which is the lowest quality of material/print method from Shapeways and therefore basically useless for most of our purposes.

People often remark about that particular material's low quality for modelling purposes, but 3d printing is still in its infancy at this stage. Things will get better eventually as 3d printing is already finding may uses not only from the ordinary consumer but everywhere, even in the defense industry.

And at least someone already entered the Iwo Jima class design!

[Timmy C]

That's not the point. Clearly 3D printing is capable of quality adequate for our purposes (See Model Monkey and Shelf Oddity for excellent examples), but not in this particular case, and we should not get our hopes up when the product will not be of the quality we expect. A recent forum member expressed their shock and disappointment when they purchased a product from Shapeways using a low-quality option, which is why such reminders are continually necessary whenever a product is posted which is not available in high quality.

[Navy2000]

Does any one know of a good set of plans to build a model in 1/96 scale that would be Radio Controlled? I know of Weismer drawings, but they are not the greatest plans.

Duane

[Navy2000]

I saw that one, but it is missing the hull frames to build a complete hull from.

Thanks
Duane

[SgtMarkus]

Like most of you trying to find anything on an LPH model has been challenging. So, like some... I've turned to 3D printing and trying to make my own. Fun times. Thank goodness Fusion 360 changed so now you can use the software for free.
Started to use Fusion 360 and before you know it I had something resembling a LPH model ship. Now I'm no expert, so parts are... well, the hull is a bit wonky in some areas. Here is what I have done to get the model I have now. I found a mini model for under 10 bucks (US). From there I started to form the hull. The hull was by far the most challenging thing to do. My ship was USS Inchon LPH 12. I was on it from 92 to Jan of 94 before they were deployed to desert storm. I know its not completely correct or done, but its a start.